Its always the quiet ones

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

So its a new year and I haven't updated for a while. I actually had forgotten my password by the time I went to log in again, thats how long its been.

I'm currently on job seekers allowance, I held off for a while which I really shouldn't have done but finally gave in at december. I just really didn't want to be someone on benefits. The money is measly, less than fifty pounds a week.

I'm applying for a masters at plymouth university for next setember in psychology. I hope I get in, though I'm going to need to get a loan to pay for it. It'll be worth it though as its something I really want to study. The part time masters in psychological research methods is going alright, I'm currently getting my second assignment done for march.

I have also finished the first draft of my guide book. Getting someone to read it through before I start the second draft. I am also attempting to outline my second book, a fiction book this time. Lets hope it goes well.

Tuesday, 8 September 2009

Well, today sucks. If you know me, you'd know I'm not just saying that to be an angst ridden teen, I'm 22 so don't get to use that excuse anymore.

Though seriously, I'm the kind of gal that hums 'always look on the bright side of life' to myself while drowning everyone with my optimism for the future. Its a skill, one I bear proudly.

The fact that I still have no job however is a tad disconcerting. The fact that noone has even gotten back to me about the voluntary places I have applied for is even more so. Goodness, all I want to do is do some work, whether I get paid for it or not, just something I can put on my cv!

Ok, rant over. Back to the positives, I'm continuing to apply for jobs despite the constant rejection, have a masters course I have in mind to begin shortly on a part time basis if I can bear to part with the cash and am really enjoying having the offtime to read. Currently I'm reading this excellent book called forensic and criminal psychology, just finished the chapter on terroism, interesting stuff. Did you know that before 9/11 england and wales spent only £250,000 a year on counterterrosim, now its expected to rise to about 3.5 billion by 2010! Just a bit of a jump then, we're about on the 2 billion mark now.

I'm also around half way through writing a guide book for teenagers on the autistic spectrum on how to suvive through university and I'm getting there with the driving lessons, haven't crashed yet.

Monday, 10 August 2009

nothing. Zilch, nada. Given the complete lack of jobs getting back to me I've also applied for a couple of voluntary jobs, so I have something to keep me busy, and to add to my cv. I know this is supposed to be a really bad year to graduate, but seriously, even jobs requiring no experience are turning me down.

Thinking in terms of funds, I have just about enough to cover the year long masters course I want to take part on if I use every last penny of my life savings. However, its the housing and feeding costs that are the question mark. Rent and food can use a heck of a lot of money, even for my frugal lifestyle. Not to mention, if I want to get anywhere in life I'm going to need as much working experience as I can. I've got the plus of being able to use the back up plan of my mother for support, so with all the problems I'm having I can't imagine what its like for someone without that support in this job climate.

Anyway, plus points; I'm in a stable enough position right now at home, I just finished my third driving lesson so thats going fine so far, I'm using the time to write more to the book draft and there are still a lot of pending job applications I could hear back from. I think if I didn't manage to get a job in the next month or two, but I managed some volunteer work and finished my first book draft I'd be ok with that, even with the troublesome lack of funds. So at least I've got goals in mind.

Monday, 27 July 2009

It seems getting a job is more difficult that is sometimes thought. Three interviews down so far, at least thirty applications sent and no offers. In my last interview I got frustratingly close, into the last six applicants for four job placements out of thirty original applicants.

I haven't really done much this weekend due to my birthday yesterday. I ordered umpteen psychology related books for my present and am really looking forward to reading through them and having some new content to learn. My criminology textbook is good, but I want a slightly larger variety of topics to learn.

I'll get back on track tomorrow after my driving lesson, those things always put me out of wack. It'll be nice once I'm done with learning that, then that'll be one less thing to do and one more skill I can do.

Thursday, 9 July 2009

didn't go as bad as I thought it would. It was filling out all those forms that was the hard part, but the interview itself wasn't as bad as I'd envisioned from all the data I had gathered from television, books and general conversation.

From the vibes I got, though I must admit that reading people I m throughally abismal at, I think I didn't get the job. But on the plus side, I had my first interview, an important learning experience and in theory with the knowledge I've gathered I shouldn't be so completely nervous at my next interview. In theory. I'll know in a week or so whether or not I get the job.

On the other plus side, being that I'm a very positive kind of gal. I've decided that I want a masters degree in forensic psychology, or criminological psychology as I prefer to call it as its a more accurate description of the subject. I've been fishing around for the perfect course I want to do a masters in, as one day I do want a doctorate, likely in evolutionary psychology but wanted to start out with a masters in something a little different that I am still very interested in.

However full time education has really eaten me up, so I do want to see what the big deal is about work and the whole earning a paycheck before I disapear back in for a year or embark on a part time course. That is if I manage to acquire a job in the first place.

I'm also applying for some voluntary work to have something to build up my experience a tad over the summer, thats on tomorrows list of things to do, along with a fair amount of other things. I'm not looking forward to seeing how filled my schedule will be once I acheive emplyment.

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

Yesterday I finally got my results for my degree back, a 2.1 overall which I'm happy about. It'll be nice to be able to put something other than 'awaiting results' on my application forms when talking about my degree.

Oh, and speaking of application forms, guess who has an interview this thursday? Two days time and my very first interview, I know I'm going to be terrified then but for now I'm pretty calm. I figuire no point in worrying about it until its here. I think I'll schedule in something restful on friday, maybe some fiction reading or dvds. Its a support work job for a company that offers good training to help look after people with various disabilities, heres hoping I make a good impression.

Sunday, 28 June 2009

is stuttering a little, just a little. I would say I've lost count of how many application forms I've sent out, but being efficient in this instance I've made a list of sent applications in the last couple of weeks. A grand total of 14, it seems much more when you spend so long filling them out, already got the next four application forms nicely lined up to send out and zilch call backs so far.

Lovely, and to add to my problems my lifeline laptop has developed a few worrying niggles I've got to straighten out, waiting on the tools for that so I can't spend as much time on it as I like. Since I use it so much; its my tv, typewriter for fiction and fact pieces, and source of unlimited art practice in case I'm putting across the idea that I surf the net all day, its a big deal, particually as nowadays a large proportion of job application forms are both found online, filled out and submitted electronically.

Moving back home this friday probuly and seesh I hope I can convince my mom I'm not a small child that needs to be monitored and told what to do all the time, it hasn't worked so far, but heres hoping. Haven't seen my mom or one of my little sis's for almost a year, so looking forward to that, also dreading it.

I'm a very solitary person by choice, last person I talked to was general niceities to the checkout guy at my local supermarket a couple of days ago and I like it like that. I like my own space and don't understand human beings need to socialise all the time. So my very social butterfly siblings are likely going to be getting on my nerves while I'm trying to reach my work quota for the day on one of my writing projects, or delving into the sociological theory of criminology - a very interesting topic I bought a book on when my year end exams finished so I'd still get to read something intellectually stimulating over the summer.

I love my family, I really do but I also know I'm going to want to get out of that house as soon as possible. So its back to the application forms for a while I think.

I'm setting myself some projects to carry out this summer, something I love to do.

1.One the main one is to get a job including all the associated find a place nearby to live, etc,

2. I'm also writing a guide book I've been writing for a little while - about 5000 words into that so far

3. Learning a new topic - criminlogy - ten pages a day of my new book, 70 pages in so far

4. Get some driving lessons under my belt

5. Summer work, paid or voluntary - already know where I want to work - it starts near the end of july - if I'm sticking to work that starts september

6. practice my art and read and write fiction - already written almost 8000 words into current downtime story, and I'll be starting reading a new fiction book in a chapter or two.